Dude your honestly one of the most down to earth people on RUclips that I’ve encountered. Really enjoy your passion for this stuff and the subtle jokes you make. Thank you for adding a little bit more joy to my day! Hope this comment can do the same for you!
Little known fact - the sword fish has few predators to worry about in the wild... Except for the rarely seen Penfish, which is said to be even mightier.
Absolutely agree here. You basically paid for a really good project blade imho. Happy to hear it was sharp. Thats always a plus in my book. As i find the production katana companies have a hard time with this. Even the higer end ones. I do alike that tsuba as well. Not very common.
Revealing as always. Musashi made a pretty standard choji hamon sword with the same kashira and habaki, a simpler, imo nicer tsuba and fuchi, and a slightly worse polish, but not much. Definitely better tsuka, including tighter ito and recessed ray skin, though pretty boring black on white. They went for 200-250 and were worth it. I couldn't find any links to it, but if someone wants something similar but at an appropriate price, that's what I'd look for.
Good showing, Matt. I can see why they sold it. Overbuilt blade mounted in a cheap handle. Tapering down to 6mm is definitely not enough distal, must feel like a crowbar rather than a fine instrument. How you remain so polite to this sword is a marvel of nicety.
Wow...900$ for this! The blade is very nice. If it was mine I would dump all the furniture and start from scratch. How much would you think the blade alone might be worth?
Thinking about apologising on my last comment, I was really considering buying a sword based on ur review. I think this sword is a good one, the review is excellent and all of the negative things said are expected for me in my price point. Thinking after the review just refurbish the sword. Donnie Yen would like it. Anyhow it has a Harmon worth all the money I can barely offer.
You can find a sword with an equally beautiful hamon, tight ito, and nicer fittings for way less money. Ronin has been a waste of money for many years. If your hearts set on it then go for it, but I can almost guarantee youd be much happier with something else.
Lol ahh Paul southren. Sng is good for newbs. It's where I learned who makes what and somewhat who to buy from. Certainly not him though I did get a ronin dojo pro katana recently from their scratch and dent sale. Checked it over, no bad issues, rattled in the saya. Customized it. One of my favs now. But would I buy from sbg? Not one of their forge direct customs...
This just shows that there is not always a direct correlation between price point and quality. I'm not going to write a book here by going over point-to-point (pun intended) but just to say that based on this review generally I find the fittings and ito wrappings on most of my HanBon Forge swords to be equal to or bettter than this for several hundred dollars less. Even a couple of the sub $200 ones. People can be see two of my recent swords from them on their FB page posted on July 10th and April 24th.
Matthew, have you ever handled anything from Battleblades? I can't find any reviews of their products aside from when skallagrim talked about their $3500 tamahagane katana. I have the kogane no senshi daisho set, but I have mixed feelings about it. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Y have a habaki issue i as I have spelling issues ,if it's fit for purpose ? I have watched many ,y like copper but is soft but is it not to soft to do its job correctly ,y ask for thoughts and opinions 🤔
I like the unique saya, it doesn't redeem the rest of the sword. Agreed that even at $700, I would not buy it. A bit funny to me in that SBG used to (or still does?) frown upon all the "chinatana" to the point of making their own line, and then fall short with some of them by the same criticisms they have of others (loose ito, wandering diamonds, etc).
And here we are again. On top of being shills for only brands that they sell (my opinion), that is a poorly made sword for $700. Upon my 2nd viewing, i noticed the tsuka bears a strikingb resemblenc to my iron tiger forge mitsudomoe.
@@erichusayncan't say this on SBG or Marc Kaden Ridgeway will cry in his belly shirt and beg Paul to ban you like he did with johnwalter. The only reason the word isn't out on these swords is the gag order they have on SBG about telling people how shitty they really are
Ronin is one of the brands that im surprised survived as long as it did. Ten years have past since i bought my dojo pro with extremely loose ito, cracked tsuka, and nearly blunted blade. I wouldnt have recommended ronin 10 years ago when we had far fewer options, let alone today where a good DH sword with nice fittings can be had for sometimes less than a dojo pro. Where most companies have grown with the times and expanded their offerings Ronin has stagnated in what was mediocrity 10 years ago. I honestly think the only reason ronin stays afloat is the knee jerk reactions of members of sbg recommending them based on their affiliation with the site, and those who dont sing their praises end up getting bounced like Johnwalter. Glad to see their high end swords finally get the review they deserve. Theyre dated, use cheap looking fittings, and are priced well above what they are worth.
I agree with everything you said, but ....I did recently get a dojo pro from their scratch and dent sale and it had neither. Loose ito wasn't as bad as in the past, (kashira still came off easily) and the handle has a very nice taper to it. No crack in the tsuka so that was a plus and came tatami sharp. Not razor but good enough for tatami and pool noodles. From my years of tinkering I e become able to do wraps and all the other little things to improve kats so loose ito and such isn't an issue for me as I don't buy kats for their entire sword more for their parts then mix and match what I like. I think ronin has made some improvements over the years but are still stubborn to make others. For them I'd say great for those who can custom and make what they want using their bare blades. They do have a rep for excellent temper. But that's about it.
@@notanotherswordreviewchann4901 It's good to hear they've made some improvements over the years. I still would not buy one personally or recommend one given all the other options on the market today. There's just too many companies making better swords with better materials for the money. I've seen far more bad examples than good examples from this company over the years, I wouldn't roll the dice with my money and i wouldn't expect someone else to.
@@notanotherswordreviewchann4901 also loose ito should always be considered an issue, no matter how good at tsukamaki you are. You paid for a product in working condition. Receiving one brand new and having to fix it upon arrival is unacceptable. I've also rewrapped a few of my katana, but that was something I WANTED to do, not something I HAD to do to make a brand new sword functional. I bought an incredibly cheap beater and even they managed to wrap the ito tight. Just to put things in context.
@alexwilmes9496 would love to see a vid of them. I'm a huge fan of Huawei. Own a few myself. Hopefully they have worked out the unsatisfactory customer service issues they were having a coupla yrs ago.
@@alexwilmes9496 I've been after one of theirs for a good while now,when I messaged them a year+ ago about their $300 DH unokubi - was told they aren't selling any of the ones under $700-800+ coz not worth their time.. so just curious if you got a higher end katana or a cheaper one etc? if so I may hit them up with a message again lol
Such a shame that SBG custom katanas are basically overpriced Ronin katana blades in even worse koshirae these days. I've seen better tsuka work than that on sub $300 katana before.
To be perfectly clear, this kind of katana is a katana-like sword. Authentic katanas are made with tamahagane and are painstakingly handcrafted in Japan. Does that mean katanas made with tool steel instead of tamahagane are not worth your time? Absolutely not. T10 is an exceptional choice of steel for a sword and shinsakuto (the current era of Japanese sword) are widely regarded as superior. The materials are readily availabe and abundant, they're cheaper overall, and they're known to be more durable. By all means, don't avoid swords like this because they're not authentic. You don't really want authentic because that would mean it's priceless (materials and labor alone make the majority of the price) and often only regarded as art, whereas a sword made with modern tool steel is made to be used. Edit: It should also be said that swords like this are usually made to be a one-size-fits-all sword. In Japanese culture, it is believed that the sword will choose its master.
The original buyer should have gotten green ito to match the bamboo graphic on the saya. Just my opinion, which is worthless. That handle looks worse than a $79 ebay sword. Looks square . Pretty bad....
Dude your honestly one of the most down to earth people on RUclips that I’ve encountered. Really enjoy your passion for this stuff and the subtle jokes you make. Thank you for adding a little bit more joy to my day! Hope this comment can do the same for you!
I appreciate that!
He is the Bob Ross of swords and Iaido.
I like when Matt talks about the pointy pointy stabby part ^_^
Just found this channel really love the reviews. Thanks for down to earth, honest information.
Little known fact - the sword fish has few predators to worry about in the wild...
Except for the rarely seen Penfish, which is said to be even mightier.
Absolutely agree here. You basically paid for a really good project blade imho. Happy to hear it was sharp. Thats always a plus in my book. As i find the production katana companies have a hard time with this. Even the higer end ones. I do alike that tsuba as well. Not very common.
Hi Matthew, when I was looking for my first sword of higher quality. I thought the same same things you did when I saw the swords sold by sbg.
Matthew "SwordSlayer" Jensen, thank you for another entertaining video.
Revealing as always.
Musashi made a pretty standard choji hamon sword with the same kashira and habaki, a simpler, imo nicer tsuba and fuchi, and a slightly worse polish, but not much. Definitely better tsuka, including tighter ito and recessed ray skin, though pretty boring black on white. They went for 200-250 and were worth it. I couldn't find any links to it, but if someone wants something similar but at an appropriate price, that's what I'd look for.
I love the tumbnail it makes it look like a sword from an anime
Good showing, Matt. I can see why they sold it. Overbuilt blade mounted in a cheap handle. Tapering down to 6mm is definitely not enough distal, must feel like a crowbar rather than a fine instrument. How you remain so polite to this sword is a marvel of nicety.
That’s a nice sword but that weird square tsuka must feel
Strange in your hands
For me, Dragon King sets the standard for sub $1000 sword ito tightness. The ito on my Savior and Pine Crane does not budge at all.
The ito looks like the same as what's on a stainless steel flea market katana
That's Ronin's specialty. Mind bogglingly loose ito with the most abrasive chemical fiber ito they can find
Totally agreed, good job Matt
Wow...900$ for this! The blade is very nice. If it was mine I would dump all the furniture and start from scratch. How much would you think the blade alone might be worth?
$300 at the most
Thinking about apologising on my last comment, I was really considering buying a sword based on ur review. I think this sword is a good one, the review is excellent and all of the negative things said are expected for me in my price point. Thinking after the review just refurbish the sword. Donnie Yen would like it. Anyhow it has a Harmon worth all the money I can barely offer.
You can find a sword with an equally beautiful hamon, tight ito, and nicer fittings for way less money. Ronin has been a waste of money for many years. If your hearts set on it then go for it, but I can almost guarantee youd be much happier with something else.
Lol ahh Paul southren. Sng is good for newbs. It's where I learned who makes what and somewhat who to buy from. Certainly not him though I did get a ronin dojo pro katana recently from their scratch and dent sale. Checked it over, no bad issues, rattled in the saya. Customized it. One of my favs now.
But would I buy from sbg? Not one of their forge direct customs...
This just shows that there is not always a direct correlation between price point and quality.
I'm not going to write a book here by going over point-to-point (pun intended) but just to say that based on this review generally I find the fittings and ito wrappings on most of my HanBon Forge swords to be equal to or bettter than this for several hundred dollars less. Even a couple of the sub $200 ones.
People can be see two of my recent swords from them on their FB page posted on July 10th and April 24th.
Matthew, have you ever handled anything from Battleblades? I can't find any reviews of their products aside from when skallagrim talked about their $3500 tamahagane katana. I have the kogane no senshi daisho set, but I have mixed feelings about it. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Y have a habaki issue i as I have spelling issues ,if it's fit for purpose ? I have watched many ,y like copper but is soft but is it not to soft to do its job correctly ,y ask for thoughts and opinions 🤔
nice hamon and polish at least. saya looks decent but a new tsuka is basically another $500 to get redone.
wow i have one of sbg 300$ katana and its about the same quality .that ones blade is only marginal better than mine
Is it me or are the fittings the same used by Munetoshi?
Although I remember the tsukamaki being done better in their swords compared to this 🥲
Tsuka looks like a child's toy, like a minecraft level of blockiness.
another thing about this is it could be made much better with someone choosing better fittings that actually make sense for the style
I like the unique saya, it doesn't redeem the rest of the sword. Agreed that even at $700, I would not buy it. A bit funny to me in that SBG used to (or still does?) frown upon all the "chinatana" to the point of making their own line, and then fall short with some of them by the same criticisms they have of others (loose ito, wandering diamonds, etc).
Oof. That tsukamaki is horrible. Got an arming sword special from them a few years back. Was also not impressed.
And here we are again. On top of being shills for only brands that they sell (my opinion), that is a poorly made sword for $700. Upon my 2nd viewing, i noticed the tsuka bears a strikingb resemblenc to my iron tiger forge mitsudomoe.
@@erichusaynthey also have done the same with the odachi that ryan swords sells. they’re selling it for $700 i believe
@@erichusayncan't say this on SBG or Marc Kaden Ridgeway will cry in his belly shirt and beg Paul to ban you like he did with johnwalter. The only reason the word isn't out on these swords is the gag order they have on SBG about telling people how shitty they really are
never seen a tsuka this bad in a non 20 dollar wallhanger ever in my life
Ronin is one of the brands that im surprised survived as long as it did. Ten years have past since i bought my dojo pro with extremely loose ito, cracked tsuka, and nearly blunted blade. I wouldnt have recommended ronin 10 years ago when we had far fewer options, let alone today where a good DH sword with nice fittings can be had for sometimes less than a dojo pro. Where most companies have grown with the times and expanded their offerings Ronin has stagnated in what was mediocrity 10 years ago. I honestly think the only reason ronin stays afloat is the knee jerk reactions of members of sbg recommending them based on their affiliation with the site, and those who dont sing their praises end up getting bounced like Johnwalter. Glad to see their high end swords finally get the review they deserve. Theyre dated, use cheap looking fittings, and are priced well above what they are worth.
I agree with everything you said, but ....I did recently get a dojo pro from their scratch and dent sale and it had neither. Loose ito wasn't as bad as in the past, (kashira still came off easily) and the handle has a very nice taper to it. No crack in the tsuka so that was a plus and came tatami sharp. Not razor but good enough for tatami and pool noodles.
From my years of tinkering I e become able to do wraps and all the other little things to improve kats so loose ito and such isn't an issue for me as I don't buy kats for their entire sword more for their parts then mix and match what I like. I think ronin has made some improvements over the years but are still stubborn to make others. For them I'd say great for those who can custom and make what they want using their bare blades. They do have a rep for excellent temper. But that's about it.
@@notanotherswordreviewchann4901
It's good to hear they've made some improvements over the years. I still would not buy one personally or recommend one given all the other options on the market today. There's just too many companies making better swords with better materials for the money. I've seen far more bad examples than good examples from this company over the years, I wouldn't roll the dice with my money and i wouldn't expect someone else to.
@@notanotherswordreviewchann4901 also loose ito should always be considered an issue, no matter how good at tsukamaki you are. You paid for a product in working condition. Receiving one brand new and having to fix it upon arrival is unacceptable. I've also rewrapped a few of my katana, but that was something I WANTED to do, not something I HAD to do to make a brand new sword functional. I bought an incredibly cheap beater and even they managed to wrap the ito tight. Just to put things in context.
It looks like the menuki is on the wrong side for a right-handed person.
does huawei still make swords?
Yes, I recently bought 2 of theirs.
@alexwilmes9496 would love to see a vid of them. I'm a huge fan of Huawei. Own a few myself. Hopefully they have worked out the unsatisfactory customer service issues they were having a coupla yrs ago.
@@alexwilmes9496 How long did it take between ordering and getting the blades? It's been a while since I've heard about their production times.
@@ToxicityAssured a little over 90 days
@@alexwilmes9496 I've been after one of theirs for a good while now,when I messaged them a year+ ago about their $300 DH unokubi - was told they aren't selling any of the ones under $700-800+ coz not worth their time.. so just curious if you got a higher end katana or a cheaper one etc? if so I may hit them up with a message again lol
Shame about the tsuka shaping and itomaki. Very sloppy. I've had several of SBG's Ryujin custom katana for around $250 and it's better than that.
Must be the worst handle on a katana i've seen. Not sure if that samegawa is just plastic, cause i can't believe decent quality ray skin is so thick.
Wow! Definitely,thumbs down👎🏻
That tsuka looks horrible...
Is it good enough to have a new handle made? The blade looks pretty good...
Such a shame that SBG custom katanas are basically overpriced Ronin katana blades in even worse koshirae these days. I've seen better tsuka work than that on sub $300 katana before.
To be perfectly clear, this kind of katana is a katana-like sword. Authentic katanas are made with tamahagane and are painstakingly handcrafted in Japan. Does that mean katanas made with tool steel instead of tamahagane are not worth your time? Absolutely not. T10 is an exceptional choice of steel for a sword and shinsakuto (the current era of Japanese sword) are widely regarded as superior. The materials are readily availabe and abundant, they're cheaper overall, and they're known to be more durable. By all means, don't avoid swords like this because they're not authentic. You don't really want authentic because that would mean it's priceless (materials and labor alone make the majority of the price) and often only regarded as art, whereas a sword made with modern tool steel is made to be used.
Edit: It should also be said that swords like this are usually made to be a one-size-fits-all sword. In Japanese culture, it is believed that the sword will choose its master.
The original buyer should have gotten green ito to match the bamboo graphic on the saya. Just my opinion, which is worthless. That handle looks worse than a $79 ebay sword. Looks square . Pretty bad....